For President Obama: Needed Commander in Chief Guidelines
In viewing the opening Presidential appearances of Obama in speaking to the nation I had an uneasy feeling that something was missing. It suddenly dawned on me that probably none of his advisers knew how the Ship of State should function. I then realized that they probably did not know what was the primary public function of the President. Almost everyone who voted in the last election understood that Obama never had really run any significant organization, but we were all sure that someone smart as him would hire a few tutors to help until he got the hang of things.
That obviously hasn’t happened so I have structured a brief outline to help move things in a positive direction.
The Navy knows how to run a ship and I think their system can serve the President. On a ship before sailing the Captain(President) outlines to his officers, the mission and course they will be taking. The Executive Officer oversees the Department Heads to be sure that they are performing their duties in concert with the mission goals. In the President’s organization this might be Rahm Emanuel. On the ship there is a Gunnery officer, Communication Officer, Engineering Officer, Supply Officer, Navigation Officer and others that take care of the deck meals etc. In the administration these officers would be the Presidents Cabinet. Hopefully they are all capable dedicated people who have paid their taxes promptly.
If anyone on the ship commits a lawless act there are a few Marines on board to manage a brig and control mutinies. I’m not sure how this is handled with Cabinet members but that is a subject for another post. The unanswered question is: What is the Presidents primary function while all these people are busy doing the needed functions to keep our Ship of State running smoothly?
The President has the same primary public function as the Captain of a naval vessel. Maintaining the morale of the crew is the duty of the Captain. Maintaining high morale in the Nation is the primary public duty of the President. He has not handled this well. I don’t think that he understands his responsibility in this area of the Presidential functions.
Mindless optimism is easily recognized and not the answer. Optimism with leavening agents of reason and honesty are what is needed.Newsman Paul Harvey who passed away a few days ago comes to mind as one who understood how to temper bad news with heart and hope while telling “the rest of the story”. He is an example that the President can study as a first lesson in how a leader can tell a tough story without totally depressing his listeners.
The President and Ben Bernanki need to immediately work on the question of the morale of our nation. The market will not respond and our lost confidence will not be regained with the President constantly referring to his inherited crises and then joined by the Fed Chairman practicing a funeral dirge instead of a clear explanation as to how his actions will lead us to a restoration of the nation’s credit/banking system
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